The history
of the rudra-vina, one of
the oldest
Indian string instruments, is fascinating in many
respects.
From its first appearance up until today,
this stick zither continued
its development
untouched
by influences from Persia and Central Asia
- which
had a great impact
on Indian arts and indeed went on
to catalyse a hybrid
musical culture
unique to North
India,
popularly known as Hindustani music.
From its
appearance towards the end of the Buddhist Gupta
dynasty,
the rudra-vina soon became an influential and
respected symbol of instrumental music,
and it became
entrenched in the strong religious and secular
traditions of the entire subcontinent.
However, with
the collapse of the Mughal empire in the second half
of the 18th century
and the ensuing period of social
and political turmoil,
it gradually lost
its primacy
of place
to new
arrivals such as the sitar and was
distanced from the musical centre-stage in an
irrevocable process.
Although it was considered for
centuries to be the instrument embodying the concept
and practice,
and indeed the aesthetics, of the raga
(particularly the alap),
and while it still bears a
nimbus of distinction,
the tradition
is now maintained
by a mere handful of musicians.